Audemars Piguet’s third collaboration with Carolina Bucci marks the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary in sleek style, with the limited edition Royal Oak Selfwinding rethought in black ceramic.
In this newest piece, Bucci turns her attention to the dial, imbuing it with a rainbow of colours. The prismatic effect is created using the tapisserie technique, where little squares are intricately laid on top of the brass dial plate in order to create a prism of colour. ‘I felt like I had unfinished business with the famous tapisserie,’ Bucci says on why she chose to work with this technique. ‘It is one of the main codes of the original 1972 design. In my previous collaboration, I had eliminated it completely – trying to find a perfect counterpoint to the complex finish of Frosted Gold. I loved the way the mirror dial worked within the octagonal bezel, but here I think we found an amazing blend – a tapisserie that appears and disappears in different light.’
Patterns of squares vary from piece to piece, making each rainbow design unique. For Bucci, the result had to find the right balance between subtlety and drama in the way the dial refracts the light. ‘Too much of one and the effect would be under or overwhelming,’ she adds. ‘I read the phrase “opulent subtlety” the other day in a review of the watch. I think that is a good way to describe my intentions.’
The dial makes a brilliant foil for the clean and distinctive design of the case, accentuated only with subtle design details such as the pop of hexagonal pink gold screws against the smooth black ceramic of the dial.
‘The Royal Oak is the perfect platform for experimentation,’ says Bucci. ‘It is such a well-known design with various clear codes – the tapisserie, the octagonal bezel and its screws, and the tapered bracelet. Because it is so recognisable, it means as a designer you can push and pull those codes in different directions to achieve a totally fresh look.’
INFORMATION
audemarspiguet.com
-
Year in review: top 10 furniture launches of 2024, as selected by Wallpaper* global design director Hugo MacdonaldThe furniture launches that wowed global design director Hugo Macdonald this year
-
Unboxing beauty products from 2024, as seen on the pages of Wallpaper*Wallpaper's 2024 beauty picks included Chanel lipstick, Bottega Veneta perfume and solid soap from the likes of Aesop, Celine, Diptyque, Hermès and Sisley
-
The cosiest alpine retreats to book in EuropeBrowse the Wallpaper* edit of European alpine retreats where to fully embrace the ski season
-
Art takes London: Tiffany & Co, Damien Hirst and artists take over Selfridges' windowsFour British contemporary artists celebrate Tiffany & Co's pioneering history with a series of storied window displays
-
Late summer jewels: what to wear at Golden HourLate summer signals a jewellery style-shift. These independent designers have got it covered
-
All smiles: How a grillz jewellery making class in London became an international hitWhat started as a passion project quickly exploded in popularity. We get the story behind the grillz-making workshop at Cockpit London
-
Emerging jewellery designers to get to knowThese independent, new and emerging jewellery designers and brands from New York to Paris are firmly on our radar
-
Jewellery designers share their most precious personal piecesA host of jewellers give us a peek at the jewellery which brings them joy and solace
-
Playing it cool: pearls are having a momentWe've been deep-diving into boutiques around the world to find the very best calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form. It seems jewellers have been busy rethinking pearls, with contemporary (and often affordable) results
-
Eternity rings for the modern coupleEternity rings, whether sleekly minimalist or sprinkled in diamonds, can be a chic and contemporary love token
-
Alternative engagement rings with an edgeAs the sales of engagement rings sky-rocket during lockdown, enjoy our off-kilter curation of edgy and unconventional engagement rings
